A final year Accounting student of the Enugu State University of science and Technology, has died after allegedly taking a fake malaria medicine.
Ojeh Cynthia Nnenna, who is set to round off her program next month, died on Friday night, just hours after having a chat with her friend, detailing what she was going through.
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control had alerted the public to the circulation of a fake anti-hypertensive drug.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, in a statement in Abuja said the drug, Hydrochlorothiazide 50mg (containing Glibenclamide) was already on sale in Cameroun.
“NAFDAC is alerting the public, especially healthcare providers, to the circulation of confirmed faked Hydrochlorothiazide 50mg tablets in Cameroun.
“The faked product has been found to contain Glibenclamide instead of Hydrochlorothiazide.
“In March, the World Health Organisation was informed by an NGO in Cameroun that a medicine, presented as Hydrochlorothiazide 50mg tablets, has caused hypoglycaemia (deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream) in patients.
“Confirmatory laboratory analysis has established that the product did not contain hydrochlorothiazide, the stated active ingredient; rather, glibenclamide was instead identified,” Adeyeye said.